Album Review

The (International) Noise Conspiracy The Cross of My Calling

It must suck to always be just one step behind Ian Svenonius. First, the Refused bit Nation of Ulysses, then the (International) Noise Conspiracy ripped off the Make-Up. Now, just in time for their second record with producer Rick Rubin and without original keyboardist Sara Almgren, the band seem to have picked up some Weird War LPs and a copy of The Psychic Soviet—hence the swirling psychedelica artwork, the Freemason pyramid's eye, and the crypto-mystical lyrics where there once was mod soul and anarcho-socialist agitprop. (The album's big, glossy rock sound is all Rubin, though.) Wait till they hear Spiv's new tracks with Publicist.